Process for the manufacture of artificial flowers



Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

tween UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAESFELD JEANN E DE GERSGN, BORN BERTHIEB, F PARIS, FRANCE.

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.

Application filed October 12, 192-5, Serial No. 62,163, and in'Germany Au ust 5, 1925.

Artificial flowers are usually constituted by assemblage, by means of glue for instance,

of petals obtained by cutting out or with a hollow punch, and final conformation of paper, fabric, etc. When the petals are assembled on the cup or calyx for forming the corolla, they give the representation of a bud, of a half-blown or blown flower, but it is not possible to modify the shape of these petals once constituted so as to transform,

for instance, a blown flower into a bud, or reversely.

The present invention has for its object a process for the manufacture of artificial flowers which, on the one hand, allows to obtain new imitations of the natural flower, on the other hand, permits to remedy the above mentioned inconveniences, in that the petals can be modified, after the constitution of the flower, so as to alter at will the appearance of the same. This process essentially consists in fixing one by one, by stitches, petals formed in a ribbon, preferably continuous, on a central mould constituted by a casing enclosing a pulverulent substance, the conformation of these petals being such that it is possible to modify at will the respective configuration and the relative arrangements.

In the accompanying drawing and by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the central metal armature.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the mould on which the petals are mounted.

Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the mould and of its metal armature.

Fig. 4% shows a portion of ribbon intended for forming a petal of the flower.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate in front view and side view the petal obtained by the conformation of the ribbon of Fig. 4.

Figs. 7' and 8 are corresponding views of the petal of Figs. 5 and 6 presenting another configuration.

For constituting a flower, in accordance with the features of the present invention, a central mould is first formed. This mould is constituted by a metal armature forming a ring 1. In practice, this armature is constituted by a brass wire which is conformed in the shape of a ring 1 and is twisted at 2, so as to obtain two parallel branches 3. ()n the ring 1 is secured, by sewing, a bottom 3, made of fabric, and having the shape of a twisted at 6 with the otherbranch. The

whole constitutes thesupport of the stem of the floweigwhich stem is made in the ordinary manner. r

The mould or ball thus obtained is adapted to receive and retain the threads which per mit to. assemble thereto, by stitches, the petals produced as described hereinafter.

The petals of a flower are respectively con stituted bjy piecesof ribbon, (satin for instance) tinuous ribbon. The ends -8 of one of the selvages are assembled together after having curved this selvage (Fig. 5). The ends 9-10. of the ribbon and the other selvage 11 are plaited so that they can be assembled on the seam of the ends 7-8 of the salvage. A plaited petal in the shape of a cup is thus obtained as shown in Figs. 56. The petals are assembled in concentric rows on the central ball, the pulverulent material 5 contained in the said ball, permitting the passage of the assembling threads, whatever may be the places where the needle enters. This pulverulent material immobilizes the sewing threads, by giving them a sufficient freedom for permitting to modify the shape of the petals and it maintains the central support in shape. It is obvious that according to the physiognomy of the flower it is desired to imitate, it is possible, by choosing different lengths of ribbon, to obtain petals ig. 4) or by the parts of a conhaving different shapes and dimensions;

these petals cannot unravel since their edges are constituted by. one of the selvages 7-8 of the ribbon.

Flowers are thus obtained in which the petals have not an unchanging configuration. In fact, it is possible to rumple the whole, to lengthen the petals (Figs. 7 and 8), to engage the petals in each other for forming a bud or a half-blown flower, that is to say to modify at will the physiognomy of the artificial flower, which is impossible with the products made by the actually known manufacturing processes.

The flowers thus obtained present also the following advantage: It is possible to clean them by dipping them in a suitable liquid bath (spirit, benzine, etc.,) without this causing them to lose their shapes, whilst on the contrary, flowers made in the ordinary manner, lose their dressing and unglue if they are subjected to a treatment of this kind.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In an artificial flower, a central pocket of lentieular shape, a powder within the said pocket for permitting the passage of the assembling threads for the petals, an armature constituted by a wire forming a circular handle and two unequal parallel branches, and means for securing the said pocket in the circular handle of the armature.

2. In an artificial flower, a central lenticular pocket containing a powder, an armature constituted by a wire forming a circular handle and two unequal branches, a fabric sewn on the circular handle so as to form a cup which receives the central lenticular pocket, one of the branches of the armature being bent, then twisted on the other branch for straddling the central pocket and holding it a in position.

In an artificial flower, a central lenticular pocket containing a powder, a metal armature for holding the said pocket and forming the tail of the flower, petals made of ribbon and secured by threads passing through the central pocket.

4-. In an artificial flower, a central lenticular pocket containing a powder, a metal armature for holding the said pocket and forming the tail of the flower, petals consti' tuted by rectangular pieces of ribbon the ends of a .selvage of which are connected by sewing with the other selvage centrally plaited, these petals being assembled by threads passing through the central pocket.

5. In an artificial flower, a central lenticular pocket, a powder in the said ocket, an armature constituted by a wire orming a circular handle and unequal branches which constitute the stem of the flower, a fabric sewn on the edge of the circular handle so as to form a cup which receives the central lenticular pocket, one of the branches of the armature being bent and twisted on the other branch for straddlin the central pocket and holding it in position, petals constituted by rectangular pieces of ribbon the ends of a seivage of which are assembled together by sewing and with the opposite selvage which is centrally plaited, threads passing through the base of the petals and the central lenticular pocket for obtaining the assemblage of the said petals.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

RAESFELI) JEANNE on GERSON,

BORN BERTHIER 

